


The Little Things- a Fire Emblem: Awakening fanfiction (Preview, scene segments, and more!)

by genderneutralnoun



Series: The Little Things: The Amalgamation [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Also on Tumblr, Apologies, Autistic Character, Disguised Lucina, F/F, Femslash, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort is my middle name, I honestly don't know what to put, I'm so melodramatic, Inneudos, Lucina Disguised as Marth, People being horny about other people, Robin has a huge crush on Lucina, Robin is Autistic, Saying "I love you" way too many times, Self-Detrimental Thoughts, Self-harming, This is way too deep, Too much fluff, When Will The Government Stop My Sinful Hands, and I have no idea what that implies, and it's pretty obvious, attempted suicide, attempted suicide tw, autistic main character, because why the fuck not, breakdown - Freeform, but neither of them cares 'cause it's true, death tw, disguises, gay smooching, get gud Ao3, i'm surprised that isn't a legit tag, just chapter 9 is really scary guys, kind of, lucina and robin are very gay for each other, or whatever the fuck that's called, please be careful friends, please go brush ur teeth, shoulda put that tag on earlier lol, so yeah just gonna be safe, tbh she's 99 percent a self-insert at this point, the graphic descriptions of violence is because Robin sticks a sword in someone, they smooch, they're funny ones though, tongue kissing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-03
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2018-11-22 21:45:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 9,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11389050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genderneutralnoun/pseuds/genderneutralnoun
Summary: Since people on Tumblr love my scene section from my upcoming FEA fic, I thought I'd not only put it on Ao3, I'd put in a few more sections. Just the original posted scene and another one, at the moment. Spoilers for this game, obviously, and you won't get any more context than the actual text in the scene.Shoutout to my friend from Miiverse (we use Telegram to message) kaseythesweaterdemon for proofreading, going over ideas, and morale support! I HIGHLY suggest having a writing buddy to provide constructive criticism and a different view if you're writing something serious. Which, because I love this game So Freaking Much and I don't have any other way to sacrifice my soul in appreciation of it, this is definitely a serious fic, for once in my life.Also, shoutout to unassumingvenosaur on Tumblr and probably some other sites for her gay hacks of Fire Emblem Awakening and Fates! I'm basing most of my same-gender relationships in my fic off of that hack, as I'm very devoted to writing every relationship in unique ways and this gives me a good base for that.Thank you all so much for you support and love!





	1. Chapter I: You Tried Your Best (and that's all I'll ever ask of you)

Taking a deep breath, Robin stepped around the corner. The blue-haired princess hadn’t heard her, and she coughed slightly to remedy that.

Lucina looked up, tears formed at her eyes and face already blotchy. Almost immediately she looked away and hid her face between her knees. “D-don’t,” she said, her voice raspy. “Don’t l-look at me.”

“Okay.” Robin sat down beside her, very pointedly not looking at her. “I just want to talk.”

“Why would you w-want to talk with me?” she whimpered. “I’m j-just a wannabe hero who c-can’t save anyone.”

“I want to talk,” Robin said, pulling out a screw with a nut on it that she fidgeted with sometimes, “because I don’t want you to think that. Because it’s not true. You’ve saved so many already.”

“I c-couldn’t save the exalt,” she whispered. 

“But you saved us.” Robin twirled the nut, looking at it so she wouldn’t feel tempted to look at Lucina. “You saved Plegia, too, in a way. When the exalt… I mean, did you realize, when Emmeryn… fell… people rallied around her. The people of Plegia realized how horrid their king was. They left the army. They stopped fighting. They trusted us a little more. That meant less fighting. Less death and destruction.”

Lucina looked up at the younger girl. “R-really?”

“Yes. With your help… at least her death had a purpose. I think she’d be very happy about that.”

Lucina was silent. 

“And as for Basilio,” Robin continued, “You did everything you could. You are not at fault here in the least.”

There was a pause.

“That  _ does  _ make me feel a little better,” Lucina said quietly. “But I… It still… hurts.”

“Of course it does.” Robin closed her eyes, thinking. “Losing people always hurts. When… when you’ve got a responsibility, it hurts even more. Our feelings become so sharp that it doesn’t feeling like it could be anything  _ but  _ our fault. It’s a disappointing part of being human.”

After those words, there was quiet. The two sat, each in their own thoughts, though they weren’t as different from the other as either of them would have thought.

“Thank you,” Lucina said quietly.

“Oh… You’re welcome.”

“It’s just,” The princess squirmed slightly where she was sitting, causing Robin to glance over at her. “I feel like… I feel like this is only gonna keep happening. Like, people are gonna keep dying, and every time, it feels like I’m breaking apart. Am I gonna have to get picked back up on my feet every time something bad happens?”

“Whether you do or do not,” Robin responded, “that is alright. After all, I’ll… I’ll always be okay with helping you out.”

“Okay,” Lucina nodded, staring right at the wall in front of her with a clenched expression. “Okay. I, um. Oh, gods. I’m doing this.”

“Lucina,” Robin said slowly, “Are you alright?”

“Oh, perfectly fine,” she said, her voice a little breathy. “Or I will be in a moment, no matter how it… Erm.” A deep breath, in and out. “Okay. Okay. I… I’m really, really glad you said that, because… I don’t think that there’s anyone else I’d rather have to help me out.”

_ Oh gods. _

_ Is she saying what I think she’s saying?! _

“I, um.”  _ Curse my abyssal coherence.  _ “I m-might be reading t-too much into this, b-but…”

“S-sorry,” Lucina interrupted awkwardly. “Can I finish, please?”

“Sure…”

“W-well. I… I really like it when w-we get to talk like this. It’s really… comforting to have you around, and I… You’re amazing, did you know?”

“…what?”

“You’re amazing. That I can say easily, at least…” Lucina was definitely blushing. “You’re so smart, and powerful, and willful… I think you don’t realize how much everyone admires you. You’re the backbone of our army, both in battle and out, and… More than that, you’re amazing when we get to know you. I lo… It’s amazing when you’re so curious about the world, and when you talk about your favorite things for hours on ends. You’re so different, all the time, and your feelings just… You don’t hide it when you’re really happy or sad over something most would consider trivial. And I, especially… I really, really like you, Robin.”

“Oh,” Robin said, in a high-pitched voice. “Oh.”

“And,” Lucina plowed forward, a determined look on her face. “I know that it’s improbable that you feel the same, but I needed to tell you, whatever the answer is gonna be-”

“But that’s the thing,” Robin burst out, unable to wait any longer. “I really like you too, Lucina. And I know I said that without any sort of prelude or elegance, but I needed to tell you before you got yourself worked up. Because I do, and I’d hate to see that if there was something I could do to fix it.”

Lucina put a hand over her mouth. “Oh gods,” she said softly. “You’re… you’re serious? You’re not just saying that?”

“What would I have to gain from ‘just saying that’, as you put it?”

“Oh gods. You’re serious.”

“Yes.”

There was a stunned silence. “Er,” Robin hedged. “So… what do we do now?”

“I don’t know,” Lucina said, equally awkwardly. “What do you do when the person you love just told you she feels the same?”


	2. Chapter II: Sometimes All You Can Live For (are the people who might die)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the reason for the Scary Tags. :(

_ Run away.  _

She  _ was  _ running; as fast as she could, to where, she didn’t know. Her cloak flapping behind her as she ran lightly over the field, in the graceful way that was the fastest she could go. She couldn’t even cry, though her heart ached to; all she could think of without falling was to run.

_ Stop. _

Robin stopped, when she felt a tiny knot in her stomach uncurl. Panting, she glanced behind her. The castle was a distant silhouette against the darkening sky, now, which surprised her- she hadn’t realized how long or far she had run. The tactician sat down against a tree, her chest still heaving and her nerves still tight and hurting with guilt. Facing away from the castle, she put her hood up around her head and pulled her limbs in, curling into as much of a ball as she could.

The tears did not come easily, but they came, with choked sobs and murmured phrases she could barely remember, coming back from somewhere beyond her broken memory in the moment. Her mind, her everything, it all seemed to come undone in the flurry of emotions; feelings, movements, memories, words, things she didn’t know how they were there or why they came to the surface now, and even later, wouldn’t be able to recall.

The only things that made sense was the words circling in her head, repeating over and over, the only things left.

_ Not worth it. _

_ Traitor. _

_ Less. _

_ Broken. _

_ How it was meant to be… _

One feeling surged to her mind, far clearer than anything else. A certainty she’d once had, one about herself… She was a lost cause. She wasn’t worth saving, as if that was even possible. All she could hope for was to make her life mean the best for others and the world… That was what she used to keep going.

For now, though…

There was a long, long time of silence, when the tears came to halt and the thoughts slowed down. An odd peace settled over her, both familiar and faintly terrifying, from the back of her mind. But it was just that- a feeling from the back of her head, not worth listening to. 

Only moments before she was ready to get up and return to the castle to face her fate, fate came for her instead.

Robin became aware of a presence standing over her. Turning to face it as she got up, her heart jolted as she saw it was Lucina.

“Robin,” the blue haired princess said softly.

“Lucina,” the tactician replied, her voice emotionless.  _ This would be better. No one else has to get in the way.  _

“I… I have something to do.”

“Then do it.” Robin could feel herself slipping, but she held on to her cool exterior, for Lucina’s sake.

“Your face tells me you already… Oh gods, Robin, your  _ face. _ ” Lucina’s voice cracked, her clenched hands shaking. “I’m… I’m so sorry, I didn’t want it to be this way…”

“Don’t be,” Robin said, her voice growing quieter. “I didn’t, either.”

“You didn’t have a choice!”

“Neither did you!”

There was an oddly loud silence, the two looking each other right in the eyes, each almost daring themselves to break first. Lucina glanced away, finally. “I have to do this.” A single tear fell. “I have to, b-but I…”

“If you have to,  _ then do it. _ ”

“I’m  _ trying! _ ”

Lucina pulled out Falchion, the tip trembling. “I’m going to,” she said, more to herself than Robin. “I’m going to do… what I h-have to do. I promised myself I would…”

Robin bowed her head.

“I… oh,  _ dammit! _ ” The princess dropped the blade, her arm falling to her side. “I can’t! I… oh, Robin,”

“You have to!” Something in Robin cracked. She fell to the ground, her eyes closed tight. “You have to, or I’ll… I’ll do something horrible! I did something in the future, didn’t I? Something that tipped the scales…”

Lucina was shaking her head, eyes wide, but Robin looked up at her and saw the truth in her face.

“I killed Chrom, didn’t I?”

For a small eternity, there was silence. Finally, looking at the ground, Lucina sighed. “Yes.”

“Then what are you waiting for?!” The smaller girl shook with emotion, swirling so intensely and deformedly that she couldn't tell if it was from grief, anger, guilt, fear, or all four. “Do it, Lucina!  _ Do it now! _ ”

“I  _ can’t! _ Not when you’ve done nothing wrong!”

“I have! I’ve done  _ everything _ wrong!  _ Kill me, Lucina! DO IT NOW! _ ”

She was sobbing, and expecting the blow come at any time. She didn’t even know how long that moment stretched on, and when she felt the gentle touch, she flinched away.

“Robin,” said a soft voice. “I’m so sorry… Could you look at me?”

Still crying, she did, tears filling her eyes and making the girl before her appear blurry. “Why don’t you do it?” she said in a hoarse whisper.

“I didn’t do it,” the princess said in a hushed, gentle tone, “because if you died, I… I would have, too.”

As the meaning of those words washed over Robin, she collapsed against Lucina, sobbing even harder. The older girl’s arms wrapped around her, and the two were together, for a moment.

“I’m so sorry,” Lucina whispered to Robin. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize… If I had known…”

“Known what?”

“If I had known you felt this way!” Lucina pulled Robin over a bit, letting her lean back against the tree. “That you felt so… bad, that you were in such a bad spot. That you really thought you were… No. I won’t say it. Because… You’re so important, Robin. To me… To all of us. It was stupid of me to think that… that… would change anything. I saved Emmeryn, but she still died… And we would be so, so much worse off without you. I see that know… I don’t know how I couldn’t see that before.”


	3. Chapter III: I Can't Believe You're Back (and that you're here with me)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ummmm.... surprise? :P

As she said, it was not long before Lucina was in front of Robin’s tent, wearing her tunic and leggings as well a cloak with the same pattern as her cape. Stahl was sitting outside, somehow having not fallen asleep- they had drawn up a guard schedule for however long it took until Robin showed the self-awareness to defend herself, and evidently it was the cavalier’s turn. He nodded to her, and the princess opened the flap and ducked in.

It was dark inside the tent- one of the extra, rather ratty-looking ones, since they hadn’t expected to pick up another member of the team during their trip. Robin was curled up on her side, her blankets a messy pile on herself, as always. Morgan had hopefully stacked a few books next to her bedroll, but they looked untouched, as did the small dinner tray behind her pillow- Robin had started rocking nervously sometime during the afternoon, a sign that pretty much everyone knew meant she was overstimulated, so she was led into the tent to decompress and hadn’t come out for dinner.

Lucina crouched down near her girlfriend’s face, which had a peaceful expression on it. Smiling despite herself, the blue-haired girl gently brushed Robin’s hair out of her face and sighed slightly. 

“I love you,” she said quietly. “I hope you know that. I hope you realize how happy all of us are to see you again. And, I want you to take as much time as you need to get better… but if you can, do it soon? For me?”

As if she heard her, Robin stirred. Her eyes blinking open, she caught sight of the taller girl. “Lucina,” she said sleepily. 

“Hey, sleepyhead,” she responded, a warm feeling growing in her chest. It was odd of her to think of it, but that was the first word they’d heard from Robin since they found her, and it was  _ her name.  _

“Mmphf.” The smaller girl sat up slowly. “Can… Can I have some water?”

“Oh, yeah.” Lucina stood up as fast as she could, narrowly avoiding getting tangled in the blankets and falling over. She very nearly sprinted out, leaving Stahl blinking in confusion, and was back to the tent with a cup of water before he could say anything.

Robin took the water gratefully, nearly draining it all with her first drink. “Someone’s eager to please, huh?”

“Why not?” Lucina sat down next to her. “With the best girlfriend in the world, who wouldn’t be?”

“Hey. That’s  _ my  _ line.”

The two grinned at each other for a moment. Lucina could feel heat creeping into her cheeks. 

Robin set the cup down and leaned into Lucina, an obvious cue. The taller girl wrapped her arms around her, and the two of them were content, for a moment, simply being with each other. Lucina buried her leftover worry and grief in  _ this- _ it finally hit her, the relief and joy from Robin being back, and okay.

Very slowly, Robin tilted her head up, meeting Lucina’s gaze. Lucina could barely speak, instead, she just nodded.

Very softly, they kissed.

Lucina closed her eyes tightly, shuddering slightly. It was unbelieveable- the feel of her, the person she had missed for what felt like months, back and for her. 

After some time, which neither was sure how long, Robin pulled away. “Sorry,” she said sleepily. “I’m… I’m tired. Sorry…” The tactician laid back down, pulling her blankets back up around her. 

Lucina sat there for a moment, getting up and leaving as soon as she could mentally process it. 

Sighing quietly to herself as she stepped outside, she noticed the sounds of the camp gradually waking up. The princess began the trek to where they would eat, a faint blush still tinting her cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t h e y s m o o c h


	4. Chapter IV: This Isn't What You Think It Is (it's a little bit stranger than that)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've some news to share in the ending notes... Read this first, though. It's pretty great, even I do say so myself. My writing buddy tells me he squeed, sooooo...

Lucina smiled despite herself at Robin’s peaceful sleep. “Wake up, sleepyhead.” she said gently.

“Hhhrk,” Robin coughed as she started in her sleep in the middle of breathing in. Blinking her eyes open, she glared at Lucina. “‘m still too tired,” she said. “More sleep.”

“Sorry, dear.” Lucina crouched down next to her, unable to keep from grinning. “But we’re going to be leaving soon. We’ve gotta get on the boat before the wind turns, and despite how much we missed you, we’re not gonna keep so many people waiting to get home.”

“Mmphf. Fine then.”

Lucina bit her lip slightly, then without warning, scooped up Robin bridal-style and carried her out the tent, effectively reducing the tactician to a blushing, stammering mess.

“Eeep.” That was the last thing out of Robin’s mouth before she resigned to a fixed look of surprise, her face still hot. Lucina tried her best, but couldn’t help chuckling.

Eventually, Robin relaxed, and her body stopped being so tense. “S-s-sorry,” she said, her voice still a little weak. “I, just, um, I was r-really surprised, um, when y-you picked me up. Um.” 

“That’s alright,” Lucina said, absently stroking Robin’s hair. “Do you… Uh, do you not like it? Should I put you down?”

“No, no! I mean… It’s nice.”

They were silent for a moment. Lucina had automatically taken a route that took them around the busier sections of camp, but now they had to go to the busiest part right next to the beach to get onboard. People couldn’t help glancing at the couple, and as Robin had closed her eyes again, it only deepened Lucina’s own blush.

“Nice catch, Luce,” Vaike teased her. Lucina good-naturedly responded with an obscene gesture she had learned from Sully, only making the axe fighter laugh harder.

“Hi, Mother!” Morgan greeted them perkily from aboard the ship. “Ooh, you’ve got Mom too! Hi Mom!”

“Hi, silly. I’d wave, but my hands are kinda full.” Lucina smiled awkwardly. “And I think this slugabed fell asleep again. Are you guys planning on putting the plank down anytime soon?”

“Oh, that. Yeah, gimme a sec.” Morgan disappeared for a moment, then peered back down at them. “You do know you gotta be on the dock to board, right?”

“Oh. Yes.”

By the time Lucina had maneuvered around to the end of the dock in the water, the plank had been set back down. A wooden ladder had been lowered to the sand to provide an alternate route, but Lucina couldn’t really use that one right now. 

The princess walked across the plank, her girlfriend still in her arms. She asked the captain if there was somewhere she could put her so Robin could keep sleeping, and was directed to the cabin. Morgan helped Lucina open the door, and she slipped inside the dimly lit rob linking from the contrast between there and the bright open sea.

She laid Robin down on the bed, and sat down on the chair in the corner, a little more wiped from the trip than she’d like to admit.  _ Maybe Robin wouldn’t mind letting me carry her around more for part of my training.  _ With a slightly confused frown, she carefully placed that thought in the back of her head for later.  _ I’m not entirely sure if right now is the best time to explore the feelings these thoughts are giving me. _

Still, she was pretty tired, and it was so nice and warm in the cabin…

 

Morgan frowned at the door Mother was taking an  _ awfully _ long time in there.

They reached out for the door handle, only or own of the shipmates to warn them off with a shake of his head. “I wouldn’t go in there if I were you, kid.”

Morgan scrunched up their face. “But Mother needs to help get everything up on the boat! She said she’d do it. It’s her turn.”

The sailor considered insisting, then shrugged. It wasn’t any skin off his back if the kid found out something they didn’t really want to.

Encouraged by this victory of wills, Morgan firmly opened the door. Mother You said you’d- oh!”

Robin was sleeping soundly on the bed, her cloak covering her like a blanket. Lucina, on the other hand, was fast asleep in the chair, her head tilted slightly and her mouth hanging open.

Morgan managed not to laugh. They gently closed the door, letting loose a few chuckles as they headed towards the dock to tell Chrom that Lucina would be unloading instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Gender-neutral Morgan! I love writing NB characters, especially when they're ones that change gender depending on stuff. Um anyway, more shameless fluff. I love the strong tall gf carrying her short shy gf around trope. (Alphyne, anyone? :D)  
> Robin is super gay. She cannot believe she has such a magical girlfriend and how gay she is for her. It's so pure ugh.
> 
> Anyway, I've got news for how the story is going! I'm mostly in the worldbuilding phase right now- working out differences, setting up the format, all that junk. I've got this really Crazed idea for the post-game story... I'm not sure if I should even keep that story going after covering all of what happens in-game. I might end up writing it as a sequel... Probably take a break in between to work on other projects. I mean, I kind of gained a following with these chapters, so I need to deliver to the people- don't worry, it motivates me more than it makes me nervous- but after that, I think I can at least say I had a success.
> 
> Either way, I might be slow with the first chapters... The first episode of Minecraft: Story Mode Season Two comes out in a few days. And I've not done much work on the first segments of this story... I'm focusing a lot on the Lucina x Robin, as you might have guessed. I do have other things written, but some of them are pretty spoilery- not just for the game, but for the changes I'm making. What fun would it be if I didn't play around with the plot, after all?
> 
> Speaking of MCSM, I suddenly have a desire to finish my fic series I did of that game. So watch for that, if you're interested...
> 
> Goodbye, have a nice day, please comment and/or kudos, and I will see you next time!


	5. Chapter V: Sometimes Saying It Out Loud Is Better (because i'll never believe someone cares for me)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess who's back motherfuckers

Robin stared around at the bustling city, eyes wide. The odd combination of her amazed expression, twitchy glancing, and slightly tense body reminded Chrom of a rabbit who just realized it had been seen. 

“Wow,” she said faintly. The tactician was still persistently staying closest to Chrom, and the two were now standing just underneath an overhanging roof, the taller man leaning against the brick wall while Robin hovered near the edge of the crowd. “There are  _ so many  _ people… I’ve never seen anything like this.” She frowned. “At least, I think.”

Chrom let it pass. “Do crowds make you anxious?” he asked quietly. Robin had, after a bit of wading through the sea of people, asked to take a break, though she hadn’t specified why. Frederick and Lissa had continued on, as all four wanted to replenish their supplies before returning home. 

“...Yes, I believe so,” she replied after a moment. “It all seems very overwhelming… The noise, the movement, the… feel of other people all pressing in around you.” Robin blew out, closing her eyes. “I hope I’m not being a burden.”

“Of course not,” Chrom said assuredly. “Even if these small accommodations were, they’re nothing compared to the good things we get from having you around.”

The tactician smiled- a soft, genuine smile, that was somehow relieved and nostalgically sad at the same time. “Thank you for saying that,” she said quietly. “It… really means a lot to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know that was short but. sweet. oh my gosh. i wish i had someone in my life who realized that i need to be told these things, over and over and over. that the joy people get from knowing and loving me and being part of my life is more than worth the accommodations.  
> anyway uh. i think the reason i stopped writing for a while is, a bunch of really inconvenient and unfair stuff has been happening to me a lot lately? like i know that sounds petty but. it all just piles up.   
> um anyway my birthday is next monday in case you wanted to know. im gonna be hanging out with my siblings sunday so don't expect anything this weekend. better yet, don't expect anything at all. let your memory of me fade into the void


	6. Chapter VI: Fight For More Than Your Lives (for those who can't fight for themselves)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here marks the start of an insane three-chapter update- a certain segment I wrote a while back and think would be better broken up into three chapters. I've no idea how I'm going to pace things in the real deal, so consider this experimentation.

Marth drew their sword suddenly, holding it out stiffly. Chrom took a step back in surprise, his hand going to the hilt of Falchion reflexively.

“I'm about to save your life,” they said, spreading their legs apart in a ready stance. “From… _him.”_

Behind them was a bush, which seem to shudder slightly at their words. The reason why soon became apparent, as a swordsman leapt out, a look of frustration on his face.

As suddenly as he appeared, Marth threw the Parallel Falchion up, leaping for it and bringing it it down on the assassin, cleaving through him with astonishing force. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Still rigidly holding out Parallel Falchion, Marth met Chrom’s gaze. “I trust this proof will suffice?”

Chrom nodded, in slight shock at the awesome show of skill. “Yeah.”

Robin breathed out with a soft _whhhoooo,_ partly from the tension of the situation. It wasn't often she was as struck speechless as this. She didn’t even notice when Chrom glanced at her and then Marth, blinking in confusion.

The odd moment was short-lived, however, as another assassin leapt out from behind a tree, sword flashing outward. Marth jerked back, missing the blow- at least, it seemed to be, until the very tip caught the mask covering their face, slicing through the soft, ornamental metal and cleaving it in two. It fell away, revealing a decidedly feminine face.

Chrom charged forward and knocked the assassin to the ground with two broad strokes of Falchion, leaving him breathing shallowly. He turned on his heel to face Marth, starting in surprise when he saw her face. “Wait, you’re- you’re a woman?”

“And quite the actress, too,” she said drily. “Honestly, I’m surprised you didn’t figure it out until now.”

“Waiiiit,” Robin held up her hands in a “stop everything” gesture. “You’re telling me, Chrom, that you assumed she was a man the whole time?”

“Well, what else was I supposed to think of her as? A platypus?”

“ _I_ don’t assign anyone a gender until I’ve clue to what it actually is.”

“There were plenty of clues to her being a man!”

“I’ll admit that her shape is pretty androgynous. But for the love of rhubarb pie, that lovely voice couldn’t belong to much else BUT a woman.” (Marth started slightly at Robin’s remark on her voice, which Robin hadn’t even mentally processed that she’d said at the time and would later have a good, flustered head-against-wall-banging session about.)

“But you’re always telling me to not give traits like that gender!”

“That doesn’t mean go around with the idea that every vaguely masculine person is male!”

“Uh, guys?” Lissa tapped on Chrom’s shoulder and pointed to the hallway back inside the castle, as the arguing pair were now looking directly at each other and not much else. “I think there’s something a bit more important that social justice right now.”

“Nothing’s more important than- oh crap.” Robin followed where Lissa was pointing to see Marth’s cape whip around the corner of the passageway and out of sight, pursued silently by two warriors that, from their dress and behavior, looked a great deal like ninjas from Plegia’s wilder regions. She couldn’t remember where or when she learned about them, but that didn’t matter. “Marth said there’s gonna be an attack- we gotta get to Emmeryn!”

Without any more hesitation than that, the trio charged after Marth, taking down the ninjas quickly as they passed.

 

“Hi.”

Marth whipped around, Falchion raised, before she saw who it was. “Oh.” She lowered the sword, not taking her eyes off of the girl in front of her. “It’s you.”

Robin nodded. “Yeah. It’s me. None other. I’m here. Yup.”

Marth raised an eyebrow. “And you would be here why…?”

“To help you!” Robin grinned, practically radiating energy. “Help you protect the exalt, of course. Not that I’ve got anything against you, specifically. I mean. I came to protect the exalt. Sooooo… I’m helping you. Yeah…” She trailed off, an odd expression on her face.

Something told Marth that the Shepherd’s master tactician didn’t usually act this way. “I don’t really need any help,” she said, stepping away from the shorter woman and facing towards a mage in front of her, sizing him up.

“Oh, but, even if you don’t, which I don’t doubt- I mean, I don’t doubt you’ve got it under control- it’d be nice to have someone to help, right? So no one sneaks up on you?”

Marth sighed. “Alright. Just don’t do anything stupid.” She blocked an arrow with her sword, and ran to cut down the person who fired it.

Robin shot an Elwind at the mage Marth had been looking at earlier, and glanced back at Marth, looking like she couldn’t decide whether to say something. After a minute or two of fighting, she burst out suddenly, “Do you have something against me?” Immediately after, she snapped her mouth shut and looked away, her cheeks tinted pink.

Marth almost laughed.

Some part of her, a very angry, sad part of her, wanted to tell her just how much she had against her. She wanted to tell her about all the things that, in her world, had been caused by her, whether on her own power or not. She wanted to do something to release this built-up anger, but she knew that wouldn’t be right. Robin wasn’t at fault for any of that- especially not the one in this time, who didn’t even know the possibilities of what harm she could do. It was unreasonable for her to be focusing her anger on her like this, but that was something she was going to have to deal with later.

“No,” she said finally. “I just take time getting used to people.” That in and of itself wasn’t a lie. Satisfied, she turned to another brigand, disposing of him quickly.

The battle continued much the same after that- Marth and Robin making sure the area right near the exalt was free of enemies, while the others thinned the opposing forces.

It had been quiet without any sign of enemies for a few minutes when a thunderous _BOOM_ shook the castle, knocking Robin off of her feet. “Ow.” Marth reached down to help her up, which Robin accepted gratefully. “That’s gonna bruise. But anyway, what the heck was that?”

“I think-” Another, smaller _BOOM_ , and a bolt of lightning shot through a hallway leading to the enemy forces, scorching the wall on the far side. “I think we’ve got a powerful mage hereabouts.”

“You’re telling me.” Robin waved her hand in the air, once by both of her ears, muttering a few words. “Sound protection spell,” she said at Marth’s questioning glance. “I’m ready. Let’s get going…”

The duo dashed towards the passageway, stopping as they saw Chrom, Sully, Panne and a few others backing up from what was evidently the powerful mage. There was only the occasional boom now, as the mage interspersed his barrage with other attacks.

Marth ducked into the group of fighters, losing track of Robin quickly. She ran towards the mage, ducking or countering any attacks.

Quite suddenly, everything… stopped.

She was frozen in place, as well as everyone else around her. The only person who seemed to not be frozen was the mage, who was now looking at one of the frozen people… Robin?

Marth tried to move, but she couldn't. It was odd; there weren’t any restraints… her muscles simply wouldn’t move. She couldn’t even move her eyes, which was _really weird_. At least she could blink- which was weird. Something in the spell?

“Well, well, well.” The mage walked forward until he was just in front of Robin. “How very interesting. Of all people, I didn't expect to see YOU here…”

The expression of fear frozen on Robin’s face was something. It showed pure terror, like a trapped rat. Why she was so scared, other than just him being a scary guy, Marth didn’t know, and she had the odd feeling that Robin didn’t know either.

“I must be grateful,” he drawled. “Fate truly piles the gifts at my feet tonight… Come along quietly, little girl, and I might even tell you why.”

_No. Nooo no no no._ Marth felt a sinking feeling in her gut- if this was how it ended, it would all be for nothing, they’d have failed again, it couldn’t be… But there was a very real problem keeping her or anyone else from doing anything about it.

Robin looked right at the mage, her scared expression still frozen on her face. Then, without warning, the sword she held in her hand came slashing around, biting deeply into the mage’s side.

He dropped to his knees with a howl of pain and surprise. His robes were already darkly stained- from looking at the amount of blood lost, Marth couldn’t help but be impressed at the sheer force that the tactician had used.

Robin dropped from her frozen position, her sword hanging loosely in her hand. She stood there for a moment, staring at the mage’s form with a hollow gaze.

Quietly, she said, “No thanks.”

And then she crumpled to the ground in a dead faint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger, hanging from a- *thud*  
> I'm sorry, that was me, telling myself to stop meming and get on with it. ...I'll just do that, then.  
> Anyway, don't worry, I'm literally going to post the next chapter right after this. If you've seen this before that, then color me surprised as fuck. Why are you wasting your time on idiots like me? There is much better fanfiction to read- believe me, I've found some GOOD SHIT.  
> Uh, anyway...


	7. Chapter VII: After The Storm (it's always strangely calm)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here it is, bitches

_ Robin dropped from her frozen position, her sword hanging loosely in her hand. She stood there for a moment, staring at the mage’s form with a hollow gaze. _

_ Quietly, she said, “No thanks.” _

_ And then she crumpled to the ground in a dead faint. _

 

As suddenly as that, the world went back to normal. Marth ran to Robin, as did pretty much everyone else. 

Marth knelt down next to Robin. Lissa was checking her pulse, and nodded to let Marth know she was fine. 

Next, the healer moved on to regard the mage’s wound with disgust. “I think he’s dead,” she said with a frown. “Either way, I’m  _ not  _ wasting my special fast-stitching slips on this guy.”

“Merciless,” Sully said with the slight quirk of a smile. “What should we do about his buddies, Captain?”

“Round them up, question them, you know the drill.” Chrom waved dismissively, already turning back to Robin.

Sully rolled her eyes at Chrom’s lack of concern, but started on her task right away. “Alright, Mr. Prince. Hey, Stahl, help me round these guys up. And Kellam, if you’re around here…?”

“What happened to Robin?” Chrom knelt down next to Lissa, a worried expression on his face.

“I think she fainted,” Lissa replied. “Was it just me, or did she look scared as hell? Er, pardon my language.” 

“No, I think you’re right.” Maribelle frowned critically at Robin, who now had an almost comically distressed expression in her sleep. “People can faint from fear, or stress… I wonder what put her so out of sorts, though?”

“Mmphf,” Robin stirred, her expression becoming more relaxed. “I’m hungry.”

“Whoo!” Vaike pumped his fist. “Robin lives! The Vaike knew she would, of course.”

“Shut up, Vaike,” she said sleepily. There was a round of laughter. Even Marth chuckled despite herself. It was odd- everything had happened so fast, and it had been so, so scary when it did. It was a relief to just sit and laugh at people’s antics. 

Finally, Robin opened her eyes blearily. “Mm. Oh, h-hi, Marth.” The smaller girl began to sit up, Lissa helping her do so. “What happened?”

“You tell  _ me. _ ” Chrom said. “How did you break the spell?”

“I d-don’t know.” She shivered, pulling her cloak around herself more. Lissa felt her head and wrist, and gestured to Maribelle with a slight frown. “I think it j-just didn’t… take on me. Excuse me, but, could I g-get some more space? I’m feeling… feeling a bit crowded.”

“Oh! Oh, of course.” Chrom stood up and gestured to the soldiers who were now gathering around the little huddle to move away, which they did quickly. “Are you okay? You looked really… stressed.”

Robin was silent for so long that Marth started to think she hadn’t heard him. “I was… really scared,” she said finally. “Looking at him… I don’t know why, but he really f-freaked me out.”

Lissa tapped Chrom on the shoulder. “She’s not in any danger,” she said when he turned to her. “Her blood pressure’s a little low- I think she forgot to eat again. I’m concerned that she’s so cold, as there’s been a fever going around. We’re stocked up on herbs for it, though, and if it’s the same fever, it won’t get serious unless she, like, makes really unhealthy choices in the next few days.”

“Challenge accepted,” Robin said from the ground. Maribelle sniggered.

Lissa gently poked Robin with her toe in a playful way. “Quiet, you,” she teased. “You’re gonna have to get plenty of sleep and eat disgusting medicine. If you’re bad, I’ll take away all your books and make you sleep all day. Maybe then you’d finally catch up on a least a fraction of rest.”

Robin made a comically sad face. “But  _ Mooooom! _ ” she whined.

There was plenty of guffaws from their small group. “I guess you’re in a better mood, then.” Chrom smiled. “Do you feel up to moving to somewhere more comfortable than the floor?”

“Yes, please,” she said. “Somewhere with a bed, please? I think I’m gonna sleep for a hundred years.”

“I know a good room,” Frederick interjected. “There’s a guest room near the infirmary. If she needs help, she can just call for it. May I?” Frederick offered a hand to Robin.

“Uh… May you what?”

“Why, carry you to the room, of course! I assure you it will be comfortable and of no bother to me, and faster than you walking with a helper.”

“Uh. Okay then. Knock yourself out.”

The heavy-armored knight swept her up in his arms, bridal-style, and began jogging towards the stairs. 

Gaius was the first one to break the brief silence. “Well, you have to admire his work ethic.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should stop swearing in the notes so much, tbh.


	8. Chapter VIII: Not Much Left To Say (just that we're here for you)

Robin didn’t really remember falling asleep- just curling up on the bed after her surprisingly comfortable ride to her room. Evidently she did fall asleep, however- she awoke to a naturally-lit room, daylight coming in from the windows. 

She felt sluggish and tired, and really didn’t want to get up. The blankets felt even more welcoming than usual- whether because the blankets were more comfortable or she was just even sleepier than usual, she didn’t know.

Still, she hoisted herself up out of the the bed, and walked over to the table, where a note sat.

 

_ Robin, _

_ Lissa wants to check on you right when you get up. The infirmary is in the passageway to your right, two doors down. It has the word “INFIRMARY” on the door in big bold print, so I’d be surprised if you missed it. If you don’t feel up to walking there, or just want to stay in the blankets, then flip the sign on the outside of the door to say it’s unoccupied. The servants have been told to, if they see it, inform us that you want someone to come down. Please eat some of the fruit in the bowl on the table. I think Sully’s going to have a stroke if you miss breakfast one more day. _

_ Chrom _   
  


Robin smiled wryly at the fact that Chrom had thought to include the possibility of her being a lazy bum among the reasons why she couldn’t go down to the infirmary. All the same, she had the willpower to go. 

She searched through the fruit bowl to find a sufficiently firm apple, and when she did, bit into it. Satisfied with the quality of her choice, she pulled off the overcoat she hadn’t even had the energy to take off last night. Coatless, shoeless, and messy-haired, she casually set off for the infirmary, eating her quality fruit as she went. (The mental image of this event continued to amuse her for years to come.)

“Heyo,” she said as she opened the door to the infirmary.

“Robin? Is that you?” Lissa jumped up from her seat, nearly upsetting the cup of tea next to her. She ran up to the strategist, stopping just in front of her even as Robin braced herself for a patented Lissa hug. 

“What?” Robin took another bite of her quality fruit. “Am I so sick that you can’t even hug me?”

“No, but you’re probably right that that’s a bad idea.” Lissa cocked her head and peered at the other girl in front of her. “It’s just… I’ve never seen you without your coat off!”

Robin realized that was true. “Huh. Well, enjoy it while you have it, kid.”

Very suddenly and dramatically, Frederick leaned over and placed his hand on his face, his elbow resting on the table on which he and Chrom were playing checkers.

“Oh, yes.” Sully, who was organizing a stack of files, caught on quickly. “Absolutely scandalous.”

“You’d better not let Vaike see you like that,” Chrom said. Maribelle, who was cleaning some of the healers’ equipment, kicked him in the shins while maintaining an entirely serious expression.

“Okay, enough.” Robin grinned at seeing her group just as dysfunctional as ever. “I thought this was the infirmary? When did it become the Shepherd Meeting Place?”

“Well, it just me and Maribelle at first,” Lissa plopped back down on the couch and patted the seat next to her, an obvious invitation. “Then Chrom wanted to talk to me about a thing, then Frederick came soon after Chrom, you know, how he does, and Sully got fed up with Stahl and Vaike “being immature assholes”- her words, not mine- so she brought the work she was doing here.”

A cough came from the corner of the room. “Also, um. I’m here.”

“Oh. Hi, Kellam.” Robin waved at him slightly, which he returned. Turning back to Lissa, she continued. “So, I was told you wanted to give me a check-up?” 

“Yep! There’s no one else in here sick.” Lissa grabbed Robin’s hand and nearly bounced around the corner to where the equipment was. “This is the infirmary for when people are ill. Downstairs is where they’ve got the one for battle wounds-type things. So, we’ve got it all to ourselves, ha.”

Lissa sat the older girl down on the chair, and began busying around, setting magical vital-detectors and checking their readings, feeling some various part of Robin’s body, all different things that Robin could have kept track of had she the brainpower, but at that moment she really didn’t.

“Alright.” Lissa sat down on the chair across from her. “I’m pretty sure you’ve got that fever, now. I think you probably caught it a day or two ago, it’s pretty slow-acting, so it was only really showing its colors last night. But that's enough about that.” The blonde girl sat forward in her seat, looking a lot more serious now. “How do  _ you  _ feel? For real?”

_ Oh.  _ “Er,” Robin started quietly. “I think… I don’t know. I feel really tired from last night, but it all feels a little… fuzzy.”

“Uh-huh.” Lissa nodded, signaling for her to go on.

“I just… I feel kind of odd about the fact that I kind of… what was the word Sully used that other time? ‘Wussed out?’”

Lissa put a hand over her mouth, but it couldn’t stop her from snorting. At Robin’s confused look, she waved her hand for her to continue.

“…Yeah. I guess I feel kind of bad, for, y’know, fainting like a damsel in distress while everyone’s fighting for their lives.”

“Oh, hush,” said Lissa sternly. “Don’t act like that. I’m sure that whatever reason your body had for doing that is perfectly reasonable. After all, you can’t just  _ decide  _ to faint. And you’re a logical person, Robin. Emotions are logic, too.” The healer sat back in her seat, her brow creasing as a thought occurred. “Maybe… Amnesia is weird. You obviously didn’t forget things like language and your studies. It’s possible you may have had a bad experience similar to this one.”

“Oh.” That… actually made a lot of sense. If anything, it made Robin even more frustrated with her amnesia, since she couldn’t even deal with the memory of such an experience. “Um, anyway, did I tell you all you needed to know?”

“Yep! Now, I want you to get in some more comfortable clothes, and back to bed and get under as many covers as is comfortable. I’ll be over with some more things you need to do and tea. Both good tea and medicine tea, in case you were wondering. Do you want me to invite someone else along for a chat, or are you all socialed out?”

“It would be nice to chat a little bit longer,” Robin admitted. “Which reminds me… where’s Marth?”

“Disappeared again,” Lissa said as she stood up. “Chrom’s  _ super  _ annoyed. You know how he is- he gets antsy if he hasn’t thanked someone. I’d almost say our nobility manners lessons went too far…”

“I’m kind of disappointed, too,” Robin said, then cursed mentally when she realized she’d said it aloud.

“What?” Lissa raised an eyebrow. “Is there a specific reason for that?”

“Oh, er, I just wanted to thank her, too.”

“Alright. Go on, then. Here, take these- they’re your bedclothes. All washed and everything, too.”

Robin took them gratefully and returned to her room as instructed.


	9. Special Chapter: Unknown Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, here it is. A "special chapter." You may be wondering what that is... Well, I'll tell you! Aren't you lucky.  
> It's a chapter containing a special scene(s). It may not be directly related to this work (this is going to be a large AU, after all! There will likely be more stories than just the one I've been alluding to.), it may not even make it into this work, and it may not even make any sense whatsoever. The reason is that I write in a rather erratic way- sometimes, I just HAVE to write down a scene out of order, even if I haven't figured out all the plot up to that point. I do know what the basic plot structure will be, I just need to figure out some smaller details, like the order that paralogues will be in the story. Specifically, the recruiting-kids paralogues.  
> But anyway, that's enough rambling. Enjoy this chapter... or not, heh heh.

Grima followed the sound of tears.

She grinned, thinking of the pure beauty of it- though it had been several days since She arrived in this time, it had taken exactly that long to figure out the date and catch up to Her past self. Again, she thanked Grima for blessing Her with such an intricate and detailed memory- human brains were laughably unreliable, and Her original body’s mind was even worst than most. She was glad to be rid of  _ that  _ horrible thing. Robin had struggled for only about two weeks before disappearing completely, which surprised Her. Despite Her host’s flaws, she had a very powerful will, something She kept for Herself while throwing away most of the rest. She soon understood, however- Grima shared His knowledge of humans with Her, and They realized that Robin simply had had a weak will to live.

On this day, Grima remembered through Her shared memories with Robin, the tactician was in a vulnerable state. The grief over her mother’s death had claimed her once again, and She could now see Robin’s hunched form, as she kneeled next to the riverside, tears dropping into the water soundlessly.

She grinned eerily, showing her teeth, which glittered with more cleanliness than her host had ever given them.

“Hello, Robin,” She said softly.

Robin whipped around, her hands wet and smudged with dirt, similarly to her face. “W-who?” she whispered, her voice cracking.

“I’m you,” Grima said, deciding to enjoy the moment. “From a time that is yet to be.”

“That’s impossible,” Robin said, turning back to the water and tensing up. “I’m not going to be around any longer than sunset.”

_ Ah.  _ Grima remembered the more exact nature of this moment. She had never understood how humans could actually do that to themselves. As She looked closer, though, She could already see a few drops of blood on the ground, as well a fresh-looking, but shallow cut on the palm of the tactician’s hand. From memory, Grima knew that the knife was in the dirt next to Robin’s knees.

“Perhaps.” Grima began to pace, intending to make her nervous. “Perhaps there is a world where you kill yourself. Perhaps there is a world where  _ I  _ kill  _ you- _ rather poetic, don’t you think?”

“Why would you want to kill me?” Her voice didn’t sound as scared as Grima expected- in fact, it sounded… mildly curious. “You’re the future version of me. Wouldn’t you die if I did?”

“Oh, there are many reasons why I would want to kill you, little dragonet.” Robin flinched at the use of her mother’s nickname for her. “As well as there are many reasons why I would not die. I spoke of alternate worlds, if you recall.”

Grima turned on Her heel to face Robin again, standing completely still now. “But enough of that. Killing you is not the reason I came here.”

She closed Her eyes, savoring the smell of fear- Robin’s was even stronger than most. “As I said before, there is a reality where you kill yourself. Then there is a reality where I kill you. But in this world, this reality… I will  _ become  _ you.”

“What…” The color drained from the tactician’s face as she realized who She was. “Oh my gods… G-Grima?”

Grima chuckled, but it was more than that. For a moment, She used her powers to awaken the Dragon of this time- and the earth shook as Grima Himself laughed with her. “How very perceptive! Yes, I have come to claim your body and blood. After all, you seem perfectly fine with throwing it away- why not give it to someone who can use it?”

“N-no,” she gasped, her voice weak. “I won’t let- You can’t- I’ll kill myself before you can!” Robin grabbed for the knife, holding it with badly shaking hands, but-

“ **TOO LATE,** ” They said together, the howling wind cackling with all the force of the Fell Dragon. Grima’s eyes burned black, and shadows were pulled towards Her- and then She was coming, coming for her, and She was going to swallow her whole.

Grima howled Her joy to the four winds. It was even simpler than the first time, and within minutes she was closing in on Her final goal. She growled in complacent pleasure, letting Her guard down for a moment- and that was when a bright spark showed itself, and everything went terribly wrong.

 

That day may never be spoken of in history books, except in passing, but it was the date of death for a girl named Robin- and the first day of another by the same name. The two shared many things, but one of the things they did not is rather interesting to explain. One died chaotically, thinking her nightmares had come true, while in truth her last wish was fulfilled. The other died in peace, hoping for rest- but never got it, and ended up happier despite it.

But that’s a story for another time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? How'd you like it? Did I succeed in my mission? Which, specifically, my mission was to create a rather chilling tale- written in a way that isn't just sad and therefore relies on your attachment to the characters, instead, it was designed to give a hopeless feeling through my use of words and pacing.  
> I think, in the grand scheme of things, this chapter creates more questions than it answers. And honestly, that's how I like it. I like writing long stories, with mysteries left unsolved until long after the action they were originally part of. Because that's how life is- you just can't explain some things, and sometimes, you don't care why they happened. You just accept that they did, and act on what they are. I like to think my writing style reflects how life happens- with imperfections and odd bits, and things that just don't feel right; but ultimately a great deal of variety and individuality are in the characters and the struggles they face. Everything is written from that world, from that character's perspective. If that even makes sense...  
> But anyway! You might have noticed, with this chapter update, several changes have occurred to this fic. That's right- I'm revealing the name for this fic. Well, I say "revealing," but it's more like, "I finally figured out what the name should be and decided to share it with everyone. :P  
> Yeah, there's not much else to say. That is, except for "thank you"- I've received a lot of lovely comments the past while, and it's really boosted my confidence! I promise, I'm doing this for you. No, seriously. I'm doing this fanfiction because I want to share these things with the world. Because I love fandom, I love participating in it, and I love how dedicated that we, a group of nerds on the internet, can be to such things. I love seeing people enjoy other people's like this, and I'm so flattered that I can be a part of that cycle!  
> So again, thank you, and please- keep being the wonderful people you are!


	10. Announcement?

Hi! It's your local writer. I apologize, but today's update is not a new chapter. Rather, it's an announcement- I published the first chapter of the fic! Since the beginning of the story is rather underdeveloped, updates may be slow at first; and to bridge that gap, I'll probably put some scenes on this work here and there. So, yeah. Just check it out [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12168516)! 

I don't have much else to say; just that I'm so happy everyone has been so enthusiastic about this! Thank you so much, again, and please, have a nice day!


	11. Chapter IX: Say It Again (i'm not sure if i believe it)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> get ready for the big guns, my dudes  
> Edit: To clarify, this is soon after the Lucina's Judgement scene, maybe a day or two after.

Robin sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. She was hiding underneath a nearby bridge; the tactician needed to be alone right now, and she knew the others would be concerned about how she had been acting during today’s battle. 

Even though it was touching that they were concerned for her, Robin couldn’t bear that right then. She didn’t want to explain it, as nobody (save one) knew enough details for it to not be an arduous process.

_ Crunch. _

The gravel road that led to the very bridge Robin was under seemed to have a traverser. The tactician froze and kept quiet, not wanting to give away her location, even if it  _ was  _ friendly.

“I know you’re there, Robin.” Lucina’s quiet voice came from the very same spot as the sound of the path.

Robin’s breathing hitched. Of everyone to find her- she couldn’t figure out if it was the worst thing or the best thing. (Perhaps it was both.) She did know, however, that the relief her lover’s presence gave her was far overpowering her desire to stay hidden away.

Still, both her fear and the butterflies in her stomach had her frozen to the the spot, so instead she called, hesitantly, “Please… come here.”

The soft padding of feet against dirt was heard. Robin twisted her neck to the side that Lucina was approaching from, still unable to move.unable to move, for the moment.

“I don’t really want to talk,” the tactician said quietly.

“I’m not here to talk.” Lucina sat down next to Robin, facing her. “I came to apologize.”

The tactician looked up in surprise. “What?”

The princess wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I shouldn’t have… I’m so sorry. I can’t… I can’t possibly say that I’m worth you, after…” 

“Oh,” Robin blinked as logic went back to work. “ _ Oh.  _ No, no! You don’t need to apologize. You’re doing your duty, what you need to do… and that’s far more important than I’ll ever be.” 

“ _ No! _ ” Robin flinched from the force of Lucina’s shout. “Oh, gods, I’m sorry, I-”

“It’s okay,” the tactician lied, her voice quiet. (Was it a lie? She didn’t know. The yell had hurt, but Lucina clearly needed a break.)

“No, it’s not,” Lucina dropped her face into her hands. “I’m so sorry, I can’t even apologize right! I just… I mess everything up, and hurt everything I touch…”

“Stop,” Robin moved closer to the bluette, surprising her into looking up. “You don’t. You’re amazing! You’ve fought so hard to change things, and you still do- and you’re such a  _ good person.  _ You never lose sight of what you’re doing this for-”

“But I did, Robin.” Lucina’s eyes glittered wetly. “I lost sight- because I’m doing this for you. For everyone I love, but still… the greatest reason is you.” 

The princess slumped forward into Robin’s arms, sobbing. The tactician held her, silent- now she knew that nothing she could say would really help Lucina. She just needed to cry, for a little bit.

“I’m sorry,” the redhead said quietly as Lucina’s tears eased slightly. “I’m so sorry… I know this must be hard.”

“I-it’s strange,” the bluette said, her voice a little hoarse. “b-but… it’s so hard to believe this, that you’re still here. I thought you w-would hate me. I would, if I were y-you.”

“Would you hate me if our roles were reversed?” Robin whispered.

“N-no! I could…” Lucina looked aghast. “I could never hate you!”

“And  _ I  _ could never hate  _ you _ .” The shorter woman stroked her partner’s hair. “Especially after this, when you’re so obviously sorry.”

“I…”

“It’s okay.” Robin helped the princess as they stood back up. “Whatever happened before, what matters is now. And right now, I love you, and you love me.”

Lucina was silent for a moment. “Thank you,” she said at last. “I… I really needed to hear that, all of that. I can’t… I love you so much,” she finished, staring at the ground awkwardly. 

“And I love you.” The tactician brushed a strand of hair out of her partner’s face. “I’ll say it as many times as you need to hear it.”

The pair stood there for a moment, caught by each other’s eyes. “Say it again,” Lucina said softly. 

“I love you.” Robin interlocked her fingers with the princess’s as the taller one stepped closer. “I love you, and I always will.”

Lucina paused, her face showing hesitation, but that soon vanished as the princess kissed her.

Robin let out a soft  _ meep. _ They had kissed before, yes- but this was different. The bluette leaned forward heavily, almost pressing  _ into  _ the tactician. The delicate, heady feeling of Lucina’s lips against hers only swelled as the princess cupped Robin’s face with her hand and slid her other arm to wrap around the base of the tactician’s back.

Feeling a little weak, Robin felt herself shift back until she was leaning back on the side of the bridge. Lucina did not let up, instead deepening the kiss with a cautious poke from her tongue, which the tactician responded to by letting it slip in.

Robin shuddered, the sensation so sharp that her gut churned; almost revolted by the overload of sheer pleasure. Yet it was rather intoxicating; pulling her in, softening the pain, and soon she was so engrossed that she barely noticed the more unfortunate parts.

Lucina’s tongue was deft but gentle, carefully exploring through her mouth before pushing against a sensitive spot near the back. Robin whined a little, not able to hold it back, and slipped her own tongue under the princess’s.

The tactician felt Lucina’s sigh of pleasure through their connection, and they both pressed together more firmly. The taller of the two had, earlier, stepped forward so her leg was threaded through Robin’s own. Now, the redhead shifted her thigh closer to Lucina, bringing the two closer together at their core.

Robin could feel not just herself shaking, but Lucina as well. It was an odd feeling- but it was so incredibly wonderful, knowing that someone loved her so much as to do this with her, and most of all, getting lost in that love.

Finally, the princess pulled away. It was gentle and slow, but still, Robin couldn't help the squeak of protest from the separation. 

Lucina caught the tactician’s chin by a single finger, turning her gaze to the bluette’s eyes. Robin was immediately transfixed. Lucina’s eyes were at the same time intense- catching the redhead and holding her by a look alone- and endlessly soft, as the princess’s kindness and beauty shone like the stars.

“I love you so much,” Lucina said softly.

“I love you, too,” the tactician replied instantly. “I really do…”

“I…” The princess glanced away, and Robin noticed how flushed she was. “I want…”

_ Oh fuck yes.  _ The shorter of the two carefully stowed that thought away before replying. “I want to, too.”

Lucina’s blush immediately deepened. “R-really? But… it seems a bit inappropriate to do it, after…”

“I don't think that's too much of a problem, really. I mean,” It was Robin’s turn to blush. “if  _ you _ don't want to…”

The bluette shook her head quickly. “No, no, I want to. I just…” She sighed, leaning forward and nestling her head on the tactician's shoulder. “I don't want to push you into something you're not ready for. I’ve said this before, but… I love you, you know?”

“I could never get tired of hearing that.” The redhead shifted her face to rest against Lucina’s chest. “And again, I love you, too.”

“I'll never get tired of hearing that, either.” The princess’s eyes closed peacefully. “Yes, I'd like to… but can we just be here, for little bit?”

“Of course.” Robin closed her eyes, too- just, for a moment, basking in the scent and sound and  _ presence _ of her lover; and of course, in the warm, comforting feeling of her love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why am i writing this im like 2  
> (Wait, I think I've said that in an author's note before...)
> 
> Anyway, what I was aiming for here was a kind of fairy-tale, fluffy moment- mostly pure, except for, y'know, the end bit. But it's dirtiness from LOVE, I assure you. Because, while I am not at ALL opposed to more... interesting kinds of dirtiness, I'm a bit of a sap sometimes. I'm a sucker for stories about people falling in love and all that junk.


	12. Chapter X: I Could Never Forget (you)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set before Chapter 25 (To Slay A God), as the group is crossing over to Origin Peak. Angst.

“Robin.”

The shaky word surprised the tactician, as she turned to find a strangely defeated-looking Lucina, her eyes downcast. 

“What is it, love?” Robin asked, reaching out hand to her girlfriend. Lucina didn’t move.

“Please,” the princess said suddenly, meeting Robin’s eyes decisively. Her blue gaze was oddly hollow; a wild, fearful light in them. “Please, Robin, please.”

“What? What is it?” Robin stepped closer to close the gap between them, a frown creasing her brow. “I’m here for you. Anything you need, I’ll do my best.”

At those words, Lucina’s face crumpled, and she collapsed into Robin. The redhead was so surprised, she nearly fell over with the princess, but managed to hold them both up. 

“Oh, gods, Robin,” Lucina said, her voice thick with restrained tears. “Oh, Robin, I… Please, l-listen to me.”

“I’m listening.”  _ What is she so worried about? Is it Grima? _

“Promise,” Lucina began, her words shaky. “P-promise me, you won’t… You won’t… you won’t really do that.”

“Do what?” Almost immediately after she said it, Robin realized what she meant, but Lucina had started speaking again. 

“That… that you won’t g-go and…” A sniffle. “…and kill G-Grima, and, and  _ die  _ and leave me all alone!” Lucina wrapped her arms around the shorter girl, as if, somehow; if she hugged tightly enough, she could hold onto Robin and never let her go.

“Sweetheart…” The tactician sighed. Why did it have to come to this? But she knew that Lucina, that  _ no one  _ would ever forgive her if she took the coward’s way out, even if it didn’t seem like it now. Nor could she ever forgive herself. “Lucina, I…”

Startling Robin, Lucina grabbed the redhead’s shoulders, looking into her eyes intensely, searching for any sign of; well, what she was looking for, neither of them knew.  “Don’t tell me you’re actually serious,” she said breathlessly, almost hissing with a burning feeling she could only associate with anger. “Don’t. Please, don’t. Without you, I’d…” Her voice cracked, and she turned away. 

“Lucina…” Rather inappropriately, Robin was struck by how beautiful Lucina was in the colors of the setting sun that came off the water, even with her dejected posture and heartbroken expression. With a deep breath, she spoke what were probably the hardest words of her entire life, even if she could remember to before two years ago. “Lucina, I… I-I promise. I’ll be careful.”

Robin walked stubbornly over to Lucina, her eyes to the floor, but found herself wrapped tightly in the taller girl’s arms again; though even then, she couldn’t meet the princess’s gaze.

As Lucina gently cried out her relief, Robin squeezed her eyes shut and did something had never done before: prayed. The tactician, as well as all the people she knew, believed more in getting things done for themselves; but, Robin thought bitterly, this was a matter out of her own hands.  _ Please,  _ she offered,  _ Naga, anyone, any _ thing _ that’s listening, please, forgive me for not having the strength to say the truth.  _ Lucina’s grip around her tightened.

_ Please, let her find someone else.  _ Robin tried to reach for Lucina’s face, but her hands were shaking too badly.  _ Don’t let her be alone. Keep her safe, since I have failed…  _

Lucina whispered something to her, but she couldn’t hear it.  _ Please, help her to forget.  _ Robin felt too cold, even in her cloak and embraced as she was.  _ Heal away the hurt I’ll be leaving her with… Gods curse me for pulling her into this.  _

_ Help them all to forget…  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yep


End file.
